SIF wind turbines

The brief

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1948, Sif are market leaders in the production of foundation components for the offshore wind farm industry and the oil & gas industry. They are among the largest steel tubular manufacturers currently for the offshore industry. 

In 2015 Sif and the Port of Rotterdam concluded an agreement for Sif to build a new additional production facility at the Maasvlakte site. The first foundations were layed the same year with the site becoming fully operational in the summer of 2017. The facility now stands on a 42-hectare site, is just over half a kilometre long and 30 metres high. 

The new facility has meant Sif has increased its production capacity from 225,000 tons to 300,000 tonnes a year. Sif has the ability to manufacture foundation piles up to 11 metres in diameter, 120 metres in length with each weighing up to 2000 metric tons. 

Challenge

THE TASKS WE HAD TO ACHIEVE

Having already previously used Prismpack luminaires in existing facilities, Sif and Van Doren Engineers (Contractors) approached Holophane to provide a solution for both the interior and exterior of the building. 

Due to the unique expansive size of the production facility the interior required a reliable high-performance luminaire that could provide consistent light levels at almost a 30-metre height whilst being able to cope the dirty production environment and coastal elements. Similarly, the exterior of the building needed a high lumen output fitting to light the immediate façade of the building that could withstand the coastal elements. 

The Solution

HOW WE ACHIEVED THE RESULT

For the interior Holophane’s award-winning Haloprism High-Bay luminaire provided the ideal solution. With a output of c.55,000 lm almost 200 fittings are suspended above the expansive 30-metre high production hall. Coupled with PrismaLED technology the Haloprisms provide a consistent level of ‘Volumetric Lighting’ throughout the entire space, ensuring that a mix of light is delivered to both vertical and horizontal work sufaces, helping production workers carry out work on the enormous steel foundation piles.  

The coastal location of the Sif facility also required a certain amount of Haloprims to operate in a wet location. Special ‘wet location’ IP65 Haloprims were used in this section giving sufficient protection from the harsh salty sea water ensuring longevity of the fittings. 

Low static semi-torus glass and a heat-sink chassis combines to create a self-cleaning effect which is ideal for the dirty high-dust environment. In the long-term the low dust accumulation means longer consistent light levels and lower maintenance for the end user. In the rare occasion that optic cleaning is needed all that is required is a simple wipe of a cloth to return the luminaire to ‘near new’ efficiency.